Little City raises more than $735,000 at dinner gala

Palatine's Little City raised more than $735,000 at the agency's annual dinner gala fundraiser held at Chicago's Field Museum last week.

More than 350 supporters of Little City dined alongside world-famous Tyrannosaurus rex, Sue, during the gala.

To add to the excitement, Little City, which provides advocacy and services to children and adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. announced a $500,000 grant from the Coleman Foundation for the construction of a new children's home.

The event "capped off an especially strong year for Little City with the development of new homes for youth as well as an expansion of the ChildBridge Center for Education therapeutic day school," said Little City Communications Manager Ann Meyer.

The Coleman Foundation grant will go toward the third home in the Duffey Family Children's Village at the Palatine campus.

Meyer says the village's first two homes are already making a difference.

"Each child has his own room, and innovative sensory rooms are designed to serve high-stimulus activities, such as music, crafts and other motor activities, while also adapting to quieter activities like speech therapy and one-on-one instruction," she said.

The black-tie optional gala included a silent auction where guests could bid on work created by Little City artists.

Attendees also had the opportunity to gain private access to the museum's Viking exhibit which is set to leave the museum Oct. 4.